Arrangement op devices for lowering and detaching boats



UNiTED sTATEs PATENT 'oEEIoE HENRY DE VEUVE, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

ARRANGEMENT OF DEVICES FOR LOWERING A ND DETACHING BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,666, dated March 16, 1858.

To al?. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRTT DE VEUVE, of Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Arrangement of Devices for Lowering and Detaching Life and other Small Boats from Large Ships; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a side view of a life boatbeing lowered with my improved device. Fig. 2, is a broken enlarged section of the same lowered into the water and detached. Fig. 3, is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

To employ a self acting device of this character with safety and advantage, several things are absolutely necessary: 1st, a safe and sure lowering of the boat' on an even keel, and if possible the same to be accomplished by one man; 2nd, the boat should become detached at both ends at the moment she lioats and still be under the control of t-he crew, and 3rd, the device should be so simple that every sailor can adapt himself to it.

With my invention I believe all of the above requisites will be complied with.

The improvement made by me embraces the arrangement consisting of the three chains or braces projecting from the bottom and sides of the life boat, and meeting over the center of the same, the central bolt with a broad head attached to the ends of said chains and uniting the same, and the two levers crossing each other and united together by one pivot, and furnished with jaws suitable for clasping and holding the bolt below the head, and which will close by the weight of the boat being suspended upon them, and open when the boat ioats upon the water.-

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents a small yawl or life-boat of ordinary construction. B, B, B, are three chains or braces projecting up from the bottom and sides of this boat, and meeting over t-he center of the same, and fastened to a central bolt C, which has a broad head o.

These chains or braces prevent the boat upsetting and insure its alighting upon the water on an even keel owing to one counteracting the lateral pull of the other.

D, D, are the two levers which grasp the bolt below its head when the weight of the bolt is suspended as shown in Fig. 1. These levers are crossed and pivoted together near the center of their length in the same manner as the levers in a pair of tongs or pincers. The jaws or lower ends of these levers are shaped so as to encircle t-he neck of the bolt and also, when closed, to surround and bear upon two sides of the head of the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

E, is a flat spring attached to the outer edge of one of the levers and passed through a slot in the other, in such a manner as to exert an outward thrust upon both levers and thus give the jaws of the levers a tendency to spread apart. This spring is used in order to insure the opening of the aws when the life-boat or yyawl floats. It,'how ever is not strong enough to hold the jaws open when the boat is suspended on the levers by the bolts and chains, .in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The spring instead of being flat and arranged as shown may be spiral and placed between the upper ends of the levers.

F, is a sliding-shackle arranged around the outside of the levers forming the grapple hook. This shackle by being slipped down upon the lower jaws of the grapple hook keeps them closed, and by being slipped up 01T the same allows the spring to open the jaws and free them from the bolt as illustrated in red.

By examining the drawing Fig. l, it will be seen that an arrangement similar to the one described is necessary near each end of the small boat, and that the lends of the levers must be connectedtogether by a cord a, suspended from ar double tackle block.

The lowering of the boat is effected by means of blocks Z, o, b, b', b2, b2, and cords n d, CZ, arranged on the davits of the ship in the usual manner or as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation is as follows: The lowering tackle being all properly adjusted, the grapple hooks are placedy around the neck of the bolts C, C, as shown in Fig. 1, and held so by means of a shackle which is slipped down upon the lower jaws of the grapple hooks. All being ready and as many of the crew and passengers in the boatas she will hold,

the tackle is operated and theboatswung out and lowered as usual. As long as the boat is suspended above the water, the grapple-hooks retain a firm hold upon the bolts C, C, and also so long as the shackle binds the jaws together, no matter ii" the boat lights upon the water, she cannot detach, but

as soon as the boat floats and the shackle is thrown up oil' the jaws, the weight thereby being removed, the springs become .the greater power and they will force apart the jaws of the grapple hooks and cause them to release their hold on the bolts D, D, and thus free the boat.

The advantages of this arrangement are, lst, a great saving of time and a perfect certainty in unhooking which can be done with the strength of one linger conveniently; 2nd, although the action of the water does unloose the boat, still it will not do so until the oiicer in charge desires or orders the shackle to be lifted; 3rd, if the command to unhook is given too soon or too late, still the weight of the boat keeps the grapple hooks fast unu in passenger packets occasioned by a bad or unfortunate lowering or detaching of the boats in a heavy sea.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The peculiar arrangement consisting of the chains or braces B, B, B, central broadheaded bolt C, and grapple-hook D, with the lowering tackle of a ship, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

HENRY DE VEUVE.

Witnesses:

G. YORKE AT LEE, EDM. F. BROWN. 

